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Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity. |
Paulie (ポーリー Pōrī?) is a character in the Sonic the Hedgehog serialized manga published by Shogakukan. He is the husband of Brenda, father of Nicky and Anita, and a qualified pilot for the air mail. Nicky idolizes his father and wishes to grow up to be as strong and courageous as him. Years before Nicky's first transformation into Sonic the Hedgehog, Paulie knew of the blue hedgehog, but is not aware of his son's transformation.
Appearance[]
Brenda, Paulie (in the middle) and Anita in Shogaku Ninensei stories. Art by Sango Morimoto.
In the Shogaku Ninensei stories, Paulie is an anthropomorphic hedgehog with light blue fur, similar to his son Nicky after his first transformation. Paulie has a pair of frontal hair, a stubbly beard, and usually smokes a pipe. He wears flying goggles, a brown pilot jacket with the "Sonic the Hedgehog" emblem printed on its back to protect him wherever he goes,[1] and red boots. In the cast picture of the Sonic the Hedgehog Book, Paulie is also seen wearing a muffler.
Paulie's appearance in the CoroCoro Comics Special stories is slightly different. Here, he wears a dark pilot jacket, white gloves, and a cap with the words "Hedgehog Air Service" printed on it that he gives to his son before the Ironman Race.[2]
History[]
Past[]
In his youth Paulie was a test pilot for faster-than-light jets, along with his good friend Sonic Joe. Their mutual goal was to pass the sound barrier. While Paulie would never end up making that accomplishment, Sonic Joe did, losing his life in the process.
Twenty years prior to the events of the manga, Paulie experienced an event where he lost control of his plane, but then Sonic appeared at his side to guide the plane back to a safe place on the ground. Not only did Sonic save Paulie's life, but he also led him to his future wife, Brenda. Sometime after this event Paulie would go on to become a pilot for an air mail service, and have his two children: Nicky and Tania.[1]
Sonic the Hedgehog[]
When Paulie and Nicky got kidnapped by Dr. Eggman, Sonic appeared to Paulie's surprise after so many years, despite not knowing that Nicky was able to transform into him.[3]
Personality[]
Paulie is both jovial and down to earth, with a strong devotion to his job and family. He is continuously shown to be always there to support his son Nicky in whatever endeavors he finds himself in, encouraging him during the Ironman Race for example. He's also sentimental towards his younger days and can be a tad childish when excited.
Trivia[]
The "Sonic" emblem on Paulie's pilot jacket.
- The idea of Paulie dressing in a jacket with Sonic emblem on it back originated from the orgin story featured in the Sonic the Hedgehog Technical Files, where the jet pilot Mary Garnet wears a leather flight jacket with a blue cartoon mascot. Similar, alternate stories about this one is also featured in Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic Volume 3 as a text story called "Story Gaiden", which tells of a fictional real-world origin for Sonic.
- Paulie's light blue fur color in the Shogaku Ninensei stories is left uncertain, as other hedgehogs in his family are known to have royal yellow fur. Also, his son Nicky has brown fur prior his first transformation and first got permanent light blue fur after the manga strip At Last, We Learn the Truth About Sonic!!. As in Nicky's case, this may have been an afterthought to give him the same fur color as Sonic, leaving Paulie's case to be a coloring error.
- The seaplane piloted by Paulie[2][3] is similar to the Tornado that was first introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in a number of ways, with a key difference being that the latter is a biplane. The serialized manga predates the game by several months, so the seaplane seen in the serialized manga may have been the inspiration for the Tornado.
- This character's name is often rendered as the real-life "Paulie" or "Pauly" in translations among fans. However, it is most likely that his name is supposed to be a reference to the term "Roly Poly" (ローリー・ポーリー Rōrī Pōrī?), given that he is a large hedgehog - a species well-known for rolling in a ball.
Gallery[]
Concept artwork[]
Manga images[]
| Gallery |
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 Paulie, as he initially appeared in the May 1992 issue of Shogaku Ninensei. Art by Sango Morimoto.    Paulie and Nicky, from the April 1992 issue of The Adventures of SONIC the Hedgehog. Art by Norihiro Matsubara.  Paulie, from the July 1993 issue of The Adventures of SONIC the Hedgehog. Art by Yoshihiko Ochi.   |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 At Last, We Learn the Truth About Sonic!! (3 May 1992), Shogaku Ninensei
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Big Dreams Are My Energy! (1992), CoroCoro Comics Special
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pops Out of the Time Box Whenever There's a Crisis! (September 1992), Shogaku Ninensei
